In Honor Of
by Bean Sprouts
Summary: Pegasus wants an heir. He's chosen Mai Valentine, the daughter of Cecilia's youngest sister. On the other hand, Mai is still unaware of this family relation, even as she attends Pegasus' holiday tournament in honor of his heir.
1. Part One, Restart

_Disclaimer: I do not own the show _Yu-Gi-Oh!_, or in other words, I do not own the characters appearing in this fan fiction._ ****

Part One  
  
Duelist Kingdom  
  
Pegasus was just one man sitting alone, with nothing but the sound of his working computer near him. The screen stayed empty, and Pegasus worked in his head the beginnings of change, the roots of a new life for himself. He was back to nothing once again, trying to find new goals and a motivation for his meaningless life. There had been two previous cycles in his life, but they were over. Once again, he had come back from the depths of depression. He had returned to the world a morphed and changed man after wallowing through a maze of indecision, despair and pain for a year. It had happened the same way after the end of the first phase of his life when Cecilia, his wife, died of a strange disease. The second time Pegasus' life had been destroyed, this life one he thought he had worked out everything about himself and his world, had been because Yugi Motto had defeated him. Then the boy with the Millennium Ring had stolen the Millennium Eye.  
  
In the first phase of his life, a young painter had thought the answer to everything was love. The second phase of his life, a sadistic corporate millionaire had thought his magic would bring him all the solutions to his problems. Maximillian Pegasus now entered the third phase of his life, and become a still, observing man struggling with his values and beliefs, owning no sort of motto or theme for his life to run by. Pegasus had been dragged out of his depression not by some crazy hope that the Millennium Eye would bring back his dead wife, but by the fact he had finally been released from the Millennium Eye and brought into the cold state of disillusionment. He was somewhat disgusted at what he had been when he owned the Millennium Eye. Shaadi had said he knew Pegasus was chosen by the Millennium Eye because he had not gone mad when it was inserted. That man chosen by the Millennium Eye, shifting his sour grape juice while he reflected on his past, disagreed with that now. The powers to see selective sections of time, into a person's most private thoughts and emotions, and have the power to cast souls into the Shadow Realm at will, were all too much for just one man to own. The Millennium Eye had given a torn man the semblance of a possibility to bring back someone from the dead. The Millennium Eye, combined with that kind of desperate creature, brought its own kind of insanity.  
  
He had fallen in love with Cecilia as a child, and grown up to marry her. His entire world had been focused on that beautiful woman, his motivation to pursue painting stemming from her. After her death, he would have done anything to get her back. Pegasus had _done_ anything to get Cecilia back. He captured dozens of souls, raped them from their bodies and cast them into the cold Shadow Realm, just to gain more power. Cecilia would have been disgusted at the second phase Pegasus, and that was why he detested himself now. He was almost glad that white haired boy had stolen the Millennium Eye from him. It freed him from magic, the hopes that he could bring Cecilia back alive, and so, Pegasus could start for himself a new life. Some might say it was pathetic a man defined himself almost wholly by a woman. That was what Pegasus had done in his first two phases, and again he was living for her, his deceased, but still shinning wife.  
  
Pegasus was still a rich man, but he had looked at his company recently and found it a complete disaster, even by the standards of his former bastard of a self. The same men who had persuaded him to help take over Kaiba Corporations had found themselves a jackpot anyway after all their plans had fallen apart. Pegasus had sunk deep within himself, and not cared about anything, least of all Industrial Illusions. The corporate demons had swamped his company and taken it over. Pegasus did not mind so much, as he had this coming to him after ignoring his business, except for the fact that they were running it badly. Wrong choices were being made left and right, and money was being wasted in ridiculous amounts. Pegasus considered himself one of those corrupted businessmen, but his "brothers" were like bad relatives that moved in and trashed the house.  
  
It was definite that Pegasus needed to come in and make changes quickly. He had decided to revamp the entire corporation, and create new guidelines and regulations to prevent the business from being turned into such a wasteland, even in the event Pegasus entered a depression and ignored it for ten years. He had been busy choosing new managers, modifying the stocks he held and correcting as many mistakes as he could, fixing the leaks in his company's plumbing. The screen in front of him was blank. It was a writing program opened so Pegasus could type a list of new rules disguised as a formal letter. Pegasus wanted a company that worked well, but was more honorable in the ways it worked also. He finally moved from his frozen position and began to type with a smirk. His fellow ruthless tycoons were not going to like what was said in these fancy words one bit.

__

Board Members and Faculty,  
  
…Upon recent events, I have decided it is necessary to secure the position of the Pegasus family in this company. I have decided that upon my death or otherwise, an Heir will take my place and become the owner of my stock. The Heir will also hold his own specialized position before such a time may take place in order to train him or her, and to help me with my decisions in this business…  
  
…The Heir will be of my late wife's family's line. The Heir will be announced two weeks from today at a Duel Monsters tournament held in his honor. The tournament shall progress for three days on my island, and include such famed Duelists as Seto Kaiba and Yugi Motto, if they choose to accept their invitations. Among them will be my heir, a duelist among other duelists, as Illusion's laws now require that the heir also have some knowledge of the game Duel Monsters for obvious reasons…Until then, Maximillian Pegasus

  
There was more in the letter, but the part about his new heir was a main section. Pegasus yawned and prepared himself for the task of choosing the Heir. He wanted the heir to be a relative of Cecilia, and while Cecilia and Pegasus had not had children (not for the lack of planning though), Cecilia had four living brothers and sisters, as well as cousins. Pegasus wanted the heir to be a duelist, to have attitude and brains. The Heir should be somewhat selfish, and needed sharp wits about him all the time. Pegasus had all ready done research and found the Heir for his corporate empire.  
  
He brought the picture of this person up and stared at it. It was actually a picture from the last Duelist Kingdom tournament in which Yugi had beat him and taken Pegasus' title as King of Games. The Heir was young and had been a contestant in that tournament, and had made it all the way to the playoffs. He hadn't been aware of the person's relationship to Cecilia at the time, but she was actually Cecilia's younger sister's daughter. The young woman on the screen was Cecilia's niece, a fair duelist and full of attitude. She smirked in the picture, and had a daring look about her, with sharp, fair features and dark violet eyes accented by makeup. The girl didn't try to hide the fact she was quite grown up by hiding her looks, in a dark purple jacket that stayed open to a low-cut white blouse. A large mass of blonde hair waved down her back, not hiding or shadowing her face. She was deadly and beautiful, just like the trademark Harpy Lady in her deck.  
  
She was not like his beautiful, light-natured Cecilia. Mai Valentine had a heavier, sexier nature than her aunt. He could not really imagine Cecilia running a corporation, but Mai Valentine had the attitude and cheek to stand for herself. She was no stranger to wanting things, and he knew that even now Mai was still something of a materialist, even though having money and things for herself now was more for surviving nicely, and what she did own was not taken for granted. She would receive his invitation to the Duelist Kingdom Party Tournament tomorrow, Mai not knowing that the entire thing was in honor of her until three days after she arrived.


	2. Part Two, Mail

****

Part Two  
  
Domino City  
  
Mai Valentine arrived in her reserved parking spot with a screech, truly exemplifying bad driving. A long, booted leg stepped out of the car, and the girl carefully got out after she pulled the keys from the ignition. She frowned at the short tire marks on the pavement, and sighed. Her mother wouldn't be pleased, and it would be unlikely that the street would be torn up just to get those tire marks out. Inwardly she admitted it was her fault, and reminded herself that she wasn't supposed to speed into her parking spot. Mai adjusted the purple, French style painter hat so it sat at an angle while staring at herself in the side-view mirror. She winked at herself, _You go girl!_ and opened up the trunk to take out six separate shopping bags. Mai had been busy that entire morning, using the money she had won at a recent Duel Monsters competition at the mall, or at least what was left of it after putting some in the bank. Her mother was happy Mai had a hobby, but with only a year or so away from college, the large pressure was there to save and take becoming an adult more seriously.  
  
Humming a tune to herself, she went into the building, managing all six of the shopping bags. The butler tipped his hat and waved when she came in, and she winked back at him, her hands completely full. Mai walked to the elevator and pressed the "up" button, stepped in and hit directions for it to take her to floor seventeen. One of her favorite songs was playing, so the long ride went pretty quickly as she listened to it. Each floor it gained, the large elevator announced it triumphantly with a ring, enthusiastically running a never-ending marathon up and down the building. Mai was surprised it usually never lost the will for such strenuous exercise, except for that major break down four years ago. Then all the residents had been forced to use the stairs, and it had been a nightmare for those who lived on floor seventeen.  
  
The elevator reached her floor, and Mai stepped out gratefully, her knee-high purple boots making noises on the floor as she walked to her mother's home, apartment number P5. She dug a small key from out of her pocket and stuck it into the door knob, and jingled it until the key caught and convinced the lock to open. Mai pushed the door open with a shove, and put her precious bags down one at a time on the day sofa near the door. The condo was large and had a high ceiling, and Mai walked into the living/dining room to see an entire glass wall. It stared out toward the commercialized ocean, but it was too cold for tourists to be on the waters at this time. Her mother was not home, but actually was out on a business trip as usual, forever busy designing clothes for her company's next line. She took off her boots and wiggled her toes happily, her feet happy to be free from the boots' confining space.  
  
After a drink of water, Mai went to get the mail, and came back to the condo with a dozen letters, six bills and one small package addressed to her. Mai, a curious person by nature, dropped the rest of the mail somewhere and directly went after the mysterious, well-wrapped package. It wasn't her birthday, and it was too early to be receiving Christmas packages. When she read the sender's address, it fired her curiosity further. The package was from Maximillian Pegasus' corporation. Brown paper and tape were torn and thrown on the floor, curling insignificantly as Mai charged toward the heart of the package. She found a small, wooden box that could be used for storing jewelry, with her first name carved into it in small, fancy letters. This was no invitation to another Duelist Kingdom tournament, but another one wasn't scheduled to happen this year anyway. She desperately wanted to know what it was all about, but the only way to find out was by opening the box.  
  
Lifting the lid, she found a letter and a beautiful silver pin shaped like an angel. Mai opened the envelope and found a letter personally signed by Maximillian Pegasus in blue ink. The man was a master of calligraphy, and the signature was not photocopied or typed in a fancy font. The main part of the letter was typed, but the heading and ending were inscribed by hand. Gleefully she read the letter out loud, sitting back on her heels and not caring her toes were in pain as they dug into the floor at all.  
  
"Here we go," Mai stood up and went on to the balcony, and held it up, pretending she was making a speech to her own country. _Queen Mai...has a nice ring to it, _she grinned and began reading it, but no so loudly that the entire population of her apartment building could hear, " Dear Miss Valentine...Two weeks from today, on the twentieth of December, a tournament will be held on my island. It is in honor of my heir, who will also be attending this gaming competition. The Heir will be informed of his position in an announcement at the end of the tournament. The last Duelist Kingdom tournament was such an interesting one I decided to invite many of those duelists who attended back to my island for this tournament and celebrations, which will last for three days (December 20-23). The Duelist Kingdom Party Tournament will provide facilities for holographic dueling, as well as entertainment and food for the celebrations and feasts that will take place throughout the event. Rules used at Seto Kaiba's recent tournament will govern all Duels, and surprises will be laid all throughout the grounds. There will be a cash prize of one hundred thousand dollars, but of course, the real winner will be the person who is the Heir.  
  
"Rooms and services will be provided for all guests. Each person is required to bring only what they require to duel with: their deck, their will and their wit. Just arrive at Domino City Port 13 at 8:00 PM on December nineteenth, wearing the angel pen in a manner that is visible so the guards let you on. Hope to see you there, Maximillian Pegasus."  
  
Mai's lips curved into a small smile, and she thought it over as she went back into the apartment, realizing it was warmer indoors than outdoors. She had attended the last Duelist Kingdom tournament herself, and made it all the way to the playoffs. This Duelist Kingdom Party Tournament sounded like a good deal to her, and it seemed to be designed so there wasn't a lot of pressure. It wasn't a real tournament where all the action was cut-throat and unforgiving, and it more sounded like a giant holiday party. It had free food and free entertainment. She would also get to see Yugi Motto and some of the other Duelists she had met at the tournament last year, and likely Joey Wheeler would be there too. She would have nothing to do during those days without school, and the Duel Party Tournament ended just in time for the days right before Christmas when her mother would be home. Maximillian Pegasus sounded like a much more light-hearted guy than he had been, spending thousands on a tournament that didn't mean much of anything.   
  
Mai then thought of the Heir, whose identity Pegasus would announce at the end. It was amazing, but obviously whoever Pegasus had picked did not know he was the Heir. He must have also been a duelist, if he had attended the same tournament she had. Mai wondered immediately if she had met him, or even taken star chips away from him after she won a duel. He must have been pretty non-descript, maybe short, scrawny and wallowing in money he took for granted. It would be worth it just to see the kid's face when Pegasus announced his heir. She could see some person turning pale, his eyes rolling back into his head, and falling on the floor in a swoon when Pegasus said _his_ name. Pegasus must have been rather quiet about the Heir's identity if he was running an entire tournament just to make a big deal out of it. It was likely the future Heir didn't even have a clue about the fact he was the most obvious choice.   
  
The boat didn't leave for two weeks, but she decided to phone her mother about these new plans. Her mother supported Mai's dueling as long as it didn't cut into school work. It kept Mai busy and out of trouble, serious trouble anyway. Mai was a bit disappointed, and felt her heightened spirits sink a little when she got her mother's voice mail. She should have expected that her mother would busy at this time though. Mai waited for the beep and quickly left a message, "Mom, I got an invitation to a tournament being held on Duelist Kingdom. It is happening in two weeks, right before you get home. I'll give you the details later; love you, Mai."  
  
Mai picked up the box and put everything in her room after cleaning up the mess of paper and tape. She opened the box and took out the silver angel. It was much more elegant than the glove Pegasus had given all the duelists to keep their star chips in. She liked the angel, as it was female and wild, and unlike a lot of representations of the holy beings she had commonly seen before. It seemed to be falling, the hair streaming up and around her face, the wings unfurled in a powerful sweep that uplifted the angel and gave her control. The angel's expression was one of confidence, assurance and anticipation of whatever it was staring at down below. She pinned it on to the leaf of her lilac jacket and stared at herself confidently in the mirror. This was the way Mai Valentine moved as she walked up the ramp and on to the boat the night of December nineteenth, her luggage rolling behind her. The guard looked at the angel and the matching young woman, both graceful and powerful, and he tipped his hat and let her on.  
  
  
**MAI** was led to a room by a nicely dressed hostess. The boat was smaller than the last one she had been on while going to Duelist Kingdom. It was more elegant, and apparently every single guest was rooming by himself or with friends in private apartments. She had been worried that she was going to have duel someone rotten and then kick him out like last time when she had taken Rex Raptor's room. This time she would more likely have gotten her own rooms because she had reached the playoffs, or would have tried to bargain with an inhabitant of one of the personal rooms to let her stay too. It wasn't quite her style anymore to be so forceful, because it was rude and caused problems later on. Now there wasn't a need for any of her distasteful plans, so she relaxed and enjoyed herself by falling backward on the small bed. She wanted people to know that she really did have a good heart, but that Mai Valentine wasn't soft either. If Mai was soft, she wouldn't be worthy of the Harpy Ladies in her deck.  
  
The door was open a crack, and she heard voices coming down the hallway. Mai had been there early, but it hadn't been a problem. With interest, she peeked out of the door and looked at the people in the hallway. They had very familiar voices, and her suspicions were confirmed as she peeked out the door. One was in green, had angular blond hair, and spoke with an interestingly accented voice. His partner was quite a bit shorter and still had his coat on, a gold pyramid hanging from a chain around his neck, hair growing to points high above his head in three bold colors. They were slowly walking toward her, staring at each door's number in confusion. She listened and was amused by the taller boy's complaints, and identified him as Joey Wheeler. He likely wasn't such an amateur anymore, but Mai was also a better duelist. It would be interesting to play him again.  
  
Joey looked at room 32, and stared back the way he and Yugi had come. Their room was number 23, but it didn't seem to be anywhere down this hallway that the hostess had pointed them to. He stared at the ticket stub and scratched his nose, embarrassed as Yugi looked around dismally. Joey looked at his friend with sorry brown eyes. Yugi's eyes were a little higher than they had been recently, and it was obvious Yugi had reached the height of his grandfather, Solomon. Yugi didn't say so, but he was obviously pleased. Joey sighed and complained, "I don't know what to tell you, Yugi. This place is completely turned around, or maybe it is turning me around."  
  
There were footsteps, and Joey looked up to see Mai Valentine. She smiled and leaned against the edge of her door. Yugi's eyes turned bright at the sight of the young woman in front of them, in a long sweater that tied around the waste and black pants. Mai had helped them out in tight spots before as they had done for her, and hers was a face they recognized right away. The boat was a maze, and she could possibly shed some light on how the rooms laid. They also hadn't seen her in months. Joey 's eyes widened at the sight of her, and it nearly could have been a ball of duelists-wearing-angel-pins if it weren't for polite etiquette that didn't suggest to swarm friends with hugs every time they met.  
  
_Yugi seems older, though I can't say that for Joey,_ Mai glanced at them both and smiled, "Hi! You got the invitations too, for the Duel Party?"  
  
"We did Mai," Yugi glanced down at his silver angel with a look of confusion. Pegasus had not liked Yugi at all; he had just wanted that puzzle of his. Yugi had managed to beat Maximillian Pegasus, the creator of Duel Monsters, and restore Seto Kaiba's, Mokuba's and his grandfather's souls against all odds, even though Pegasus had been a cheating scoundrel by reading the mind of any player who went against him. It was rather strange that Pegasus would send an invitation to Yugi, but he was the champion of the last Duelist Kingdom tournament, so Pegasus would have been stupid if he had not invited Yugi of all people. There was less reason for Pegasus to invite Seto Kaiba though, as he had not been an official contestant. Pegasus had actually invited his corporate arch rival to a party in honor of _his_ corporation's new heir! Pegasus was definitely trying to accomplish some major apologizing, even though stealing souls and kidnapping Mokuba were acts that did not deserve forgiveness.  
  
"Mai, we are sort of lost," Joey showed her their assignment ticket, and she read it over, "We can't find our room."  
  
The ticket was for a double room, while they had wandered to the area containing the single rooms. It was no wonder their room numbers didn't match up. Mai kept her amusement inside her throat and only her eyes gave her away. She handed it back to an anxious Joey, whose facial expression read: _Help us please!_ The boat was leaving in a few minutes, and they obviously wanted to be in their room by the time the boat left for Duelist Kingdom, "The double rooms are down the hall way and to the right. Just turn back the way you came."  
  
"Thanks Mai," Yugi replied, "We'll be seeing you at the Duel Party!"  
  
"I'm sure we will Yugi Motto. See you two later!" Mai raised her voice as they disappeared down the hall. Joey and Yugi waved at her and turned around, and she went back to her own room. Mai found one of her bags and yanked it open, and found her snack food stash. It was always good to have some junk food handy, as there wasn't any kind of nourishment being provided on the trip to the tournament.  



	3. Part Three, Tournament

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Disclaimer: Again, I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any characters of the characters found in this story. Secondly, I did not come up with the song about someone's grandma getting run over by a reindeer. I haven't even heard the entire song. 

Part Three  
  
Pegasus's Castle  
  
The twentieth of December was bright and lively at Duelist Kingdom, and a healthy boat load of duelists had arrived in safety at Duelist Kingdom early that morning. Each duelist had been given a separate room in the castle or in one of the buildings surrounding it, so the grounds were somewhat packed. The entire island was set up, the arenas cleaned and surprises installed behind every corner. Pegasus wondered if one could even walk twenty paces without encountering one of the prizes, treats or letters in machines that laid next to trees, the cobbled sidewalks, fountains, and holiday decorations. One or two of the prizes had even been put next to the tables set out in the large indoor courtyard serving as the feast center for the next three evenings. A huge Christmas tree went all the way up to the roof, and was set in a large pool that contained holographic projectors.  
  
With all of the duelists on the island, it was extremely noisy, even through the stone walls of his room. Pegasus had to make an appearance in less than two hours, and scrabbled out of bed when his clock started to sing "Grandma got run over by a reindeer…" The clock also ran a song about dead puppies, but it was enough to make his stomach rebel, so he kept the alarm on the other one. It was the sick joke of a Christmas present that had been given to him last year by Shaadi. He didn't dare throw it away, as that Egyptian man still owned two Millennium Items, and the ability to pop up anywhere in the castle while bypassing locked doors and walls. If he threw away the clock, Pegasus would likely be thrown into the Shadow Realm for a day or two as the "light-hearted prank" from a "good friend." Pegasus was doomed to keep the clock.  
  
He put a red bathrobe on. Pegasus was naturally gifted with straight white hair that grew in a widow's peak and went neatly down the sides of his neck. He was a tall, broad shouldered man, and easily reached past six feet. Looking at himself in the mirror while he brushed his teeth, two soft brown eyes stared back at him instead of one brown eye and the surface of a Millennium Item. His most definitive features were smooth, large hands, connected to long and dexterous fingers. Until recently, Pegasus had not used them for anything other than giving orders and holding things, but he had started to paint again. He had made several new cards, three of which were being put on the market next year. The other was one of the grand prizes of the Duelist Kingdom Party Tournament. That card was so original and powerful there would only be one copy in the world, making it rarer than the Blue Eyes White Dragon.  
  
_Hmm, if Seto Kaiba did decide to come, he is going to try with all his might to get that card. I better make sure not to give it to the winner until after the tournament so Kaiba can't steal it from him,_ Pegasus knew that Seto Kaiba would desperately want that card, and maybe even believe he was destined to have it. Unless Kaiba was randomly selected after winning a duel at the arena that contained the card, it would not be his. The young genius better not steal it, as Pegasus had painted the picture for that one himself. He had invited both Kaibas as an apology, but Seto Kaiba would find himself in deep water if he played one of his old tricks. By now, Pegasus knew how Kaiba had torn up Yugi's grandfather's Blue Eyes just so it couldn't be used against him in battle!  
  
Awhile later, Pegasus left from breakfast and pressed a button against the wall. It shifted and a door slid open, revealing dimly lit steps into the inner tunnels that lined his island. Pegasus took a flashlight with him and walked underground as he maneuvered to the entrance of the inner courtyard. His footsteps were the only noises in the dark corridors, and Pegasus enjoyed the darkness and shadows. The goons that had swarmed his island during the last Duelist Kingdom Tournament were gone, and it was only Pegasus who walked this world. He finally arrived at the statue of a Pegasus with giant wings and stroked the technologically sensitive nose. The entrance was activated, and a staircase came down from the ceiling. Pegasus glanced at his watch and walked up the steps, to arrive in warm air. His eyes hurt from the light of day, but he adjusted quickly, and found himself in the large courtyard. The duelists were all talking avidly and eating breakfast, while some kind of Christmas music played in the background. Dozens of angels on coats and sweaters glittered under the lights like silver stars.   
  
Pegasus walked up the ramp and on to the podium. The crowd silenced as they noticed him, and speaking into the microphone, he welcomed them all to the Duelist Kingdom Party Tournament. While he absentmindedly laid out the rules, he looked at the faces in the front rows. Seto Kaiba and his brother had actually come, and were sitting off to the side in the shadows. Kaiba didn't seem to be paying attention, even though his younger brother looked extremely eager to learn all the rules. Little Mokuba was probably going to be a true duelist in this tournament, obviously counting himself among them by wearing an angel pin. He must have gotten the best cards and strategies from his brother, and would be a terrifying opponent, despite the fact he was the youngest duelist in the entire room. Yugi Motto, still King of Games, and Joey Wheeler, second place winner in the Duelist Kingdom tournament, were also there. Yugi's violet eyes remained on him, trying to see if Pegasus had done anyone damage or was hiding some kind of evil agenda, and Joey Wheeler devoured food. He looked for Mai Valentine, his possible heir. She was off in the back, not knowing how important she was to Maximillian Pegasus and the Duel Party itself.  
  
Pegasus was almost done, and a movie screen flickered on when he pressed a button on the podium. To him there was a computer screen, and he opened the file that contained the pictures he needed. The four new cards he had made appeared on screen, and he looked at the audience that had just stirred with newly attained interest. Even Seto Kaiba had come out of his shell and paid attention. Pegasus made the pictures of the cards larger, and three huge Duel Monsters cards appeared on the movie screen. They were all face down, and their swirling brown sides were turned toward the audience.   
  
"Prizes will be littered throughout the island and be awarded randomly. I've created several new cards recently, and three of them will be put on the market after the start of the year. Types of prizes will include gift packs, checks, and rare Duel Monsters cards. Among the cards will be advanced copies of these new ones. As it is, all three of them will very rare on the market, so this tournament is a chance to receive them freely. The fourth card is one of the top prizes in this tournament, and shall be addressed in a minute," Pegasus announced. This had definitely gotten everyone's attention. He touched the first card, and it flipped over. This card was "Annoying Fan Girl," a monster that had a special effect which would block the attack of any male spell caster or warrior monster with attack points above a certain level for two turns. He had created that card especially with Yugi Motto's Dark Magician in mind, as the Dark Magician wouldn't like the card very well. If the Annoying Fan Girl and Dark Magician were on the field at the same time, the Annoying Fan Girl would _become_ an annoying fan girl, run across the field and beg for the Dark Magician's autograph. The second one was Midnight Warrior, a female warrior card that used a sword and had sweeping moonlight hair, swirling about her as she attacked in the picture. It was going to very rare, and had 2450 in attack points and 2650 in defense. The third card was one he had created with Mai Valentine in mind. It was a new version of Harpy Lady that was more powerful, and had bolder coloring and lemon hair. From what he could see of Mai, she seemed extremely interested in that particular card, just as he had predicted.  
  
Then he revealed the last card by taking it out of his pocket and placing it on the computer screen very carefully. It was laminated and warm from being in his pocket for so long. The card showed through the plastic and shimmered, reflecting light as the paper for the card was holographic. It was of a very high level, and a very impressive piece of art work. The real phenomenon was revealed when the card was used during a holographic game, when a person met face to face with the full reality of the monster. There would only be one of this monster in the entire world, so whoever won it during the tournament was extremely lucky.  
  
The monster began to appear as the holographic projectors surrounding the pool formed it in a whirl of shimmer and light. The monster was larger than a Blue Eyes White Dragon, but looked like it was the cousin of that card. In fact, thousands of years ago when the monsters had been real, they likely had been cousins of a sort. The dragon was longer and slimmer than the Blue Eyes, and had a crystalline, silvery skin run through with bright rainbow highlights, while his eyes were dark pools of indigo and black. Seto Kaiba and Mokuba were very close to the dragon, and Seto Kaiba's mouth dropped while Mokuba squeaked, "Bro, is that a Blue Eyes?"  
  
"No, Mokuba Kaiba, it's not," Pegasus answered his question gleefully and stared in surprise as the dragon responded to Mokuba's voice by shifting his gaze to the boy. Mokuba nearly yelped and shrunk into his chair, but his eyes were fixed on the holographic monster. The dragon lowered his head so his eyes were aligned with Mokuba, and there it stayed. Mokuba looked like he wanted to touch the monster and pet it on the nose, but the dragon was only a hologram. Pegasus had been designing his newer cards with more personality, but this was ridiculous. The holographic monster was acting like it was friends with Mokuba, or even that Mokuba was his master, given the fact the dragon seemed to be bowing to the young adolescent. Pegasus looked for one of his guests out of the corner of his eye, and found Shaadi, who held a glass of juice and set an intense gaze on the boy and monster. Pegasus was going to need to talk to turban-head as soon as possible, "This is the Silver Millennium Time Dragon, and there will only be one of these cards made. It's attack power is 3200, with the defense at 3000. There is also a special effect as well. There is a card that is almost exactly like this, but I haven't finished it yet."  
  
A wave went through the crowd as the monster was revealed. This prize was almost more precious than the one hundred-thousand dollars awarded to the winner of the Duel Party, as one hundred-thousand dollars wouldn't necessarily buy the one-of-a-kind Silver Millennium Time Dragon. While the card wasn't as powerful as the God Cards Kaiba or Yugi had owned at the Battle City tournament, the attack power was also very high. Pegasus looked down at Kaiba, who seemed about as enamored with the monster as Mokuba was. While the hologram seemed to love Mokuba back, it glanced at Mokuba's brother and blinked indifferently.   
  
Pegasus made a concluding statement, and stepped off the platform. Immediately, he was confronted by Seto Kaiba. Right then, he wished Kaiba hadn't sat so close so that Pegasus couldn't escape him, or rather, his greed. Seto Kaiba was rather tall, and wore a long black coat, his brown hair tapering to a distinct point at the back of his head. Kaiba was a man moving with a purpose, and there was nothing else on his mind at that moment. Pegasus stopped and resigned himself to being badgered by Kaiba, as he knew exactly what Kaiba wanted to ask.  
  
"What about this 'other card?'" Kaiba stepped directly in front of Pegasus and tried to command a dominating presence. It didn't work very well, as Pegasus was an equally powerful man in personality, even if his company was messed up and his magic gone.  
  
"I told you, it isn't finished yet. If you must know, the other card is the Silver Millennium Sun Dragon, and the attack and defense are equal to the Time Dragon's," Pegasus told him quietly so other duelists wouldn't hear. Shaadi was listening in on the conversation though, and was smiling. Pegasus glared at him and watched Kaiba's eyes light up with an incredible possessiveness.   
  
"Could I buy it from you?" Seto Kaiba was definitely still an idiot. Hadn't he learned yet that money couldn't get him everything he wanted?   
  
Pegasus sniffed mercilessly and eased out of the trap Kaiba had tried to set, "I don't _sale_ Silver Millennium Dragons, young man. You own three Blue Eyes, so your deck is strong all ready. Those two cards are extraordinary, as I think you have all ready seen. I'm not even sure I choose who they go to, as it all ready feels like the subject is out of my hands."  
  
  
**THE** day continued on, and Mai enjoyed herself immensely. She won a lot of duels, and her score was kept on the island's computer system, which she could access through a hand held device. With it, she tracked the results of the Duel Party. Only a few people had more wins than she did, including Kaiba, Yugi, and Joey. It was pleasing to see Rex Raptor below her, and Mokuba Kaiba managed to maintain his spot two places below her own. Losses didn't really matter as they didn't directly affect who won or lost. The random prizes won by all the duelists were also tracked, and Mai earned two prizes after defeating opponents in duels. Neither of them had been the brand new Lightening Harpy Lady that she so badly wanted. It didn't water her enjoyment, as besides dueling, there was also good food, live music and dancing. That evening the first feast started, and a band was scheduled to play for three hours throughout the dinner. This tournament definitely beat living out in the wilderness, escaping from crazy eliminators and struggling her way in the castle, like she had during the Duelist Kingdom tournament. It was too bad Pegasus wasn't going to hold Duel Parties regularly, as there couldn't be _that_ many Heirs to honor.  
  
For the feast, most duelists had the sense to dress up somewhat. Yugi Motto and Joey Wheeler managed to be presentable, while Mokuba ran around in a suit Kaiba had forced him to wear. At some point Mokuba disappeared and reappeared in more comfortable attire. Seto Kaiba seemed to be unfocused, and Pegasus talked to the duelists and sat with his friend, Shaadi. Mai arrived, still wearing her angel pin, and found herself a seat with Yugi and Joey. They seemed rather lonely, considering the fact that the entire "friendship team" hadn't come to the island with them. With a bowl of cold gazpacho soup and chocolate chip cookies, she joined them at their table.  
  
"Who do you think this mysterious Heir is going to be?" Mai asked them, hoping they had heard rumors about who it was. It had been a hot topic among the duelists all day, and there wasn't a person who was not wondering who it was. No one seemed to be wondering "Is it me?", and no one was bragging that they were the Heir either. That was odd, but the Heir must have had some kind of relationship with Pegasus. There wasn't anyone who seemed to be that closely related to him. Mai was beginning to think the Heir was one of the Kaiba brothers, as it was the only possible solution she could come up with, no matter how improbable it was.  
  
"I don't know Mai," Yugi frowned, looking out to the beautiful, holographic projector pool. The mystery was stumping all three of them, so they would just have to wait and find out. Mai watched Joey chew, and he shrugged. The music had started up awhile ago, and casually duelists were floating to and from the dance floor. A few minutes later Joey suddenly fixed his eyes on Mai as if he were bored. Mai felt like she were under a microscope, as Joey's brain wheels were definitely turning beneath his brown eyes. She turned to glare disapprovingly at him in return.  
  
"You aren't thinking about asking me to dance, are you?" Mai laid out the words only to tease, but Joey's cheeks tinged pink and he looked down at his food. Mai raised an eyebrow in surprise, but was not immediately rejecting him in her mind. She was getting bored after all, as they had run out of Kaiba and Pegasus jokes awhile ago. Yugi was smiling a bit wickedly, his eyes down cast so they couldn't see him grinning.   
  
"Yeah, I was," Joey nearly whispered, "but I wasn't sure if you would want to, and I was worried about Yugi being here all by himself."  
  
"Go on!" Yugi protested by taking out his deck and placing it on the table. Mai and Joey looked at him, and he indicated the dance floor with the nod of his head. He was trying to pretend that they would be a distraction for him, and make them feel guilty if they stayed. "I need to work on reorganizing my deck for tomorrow, so go dance."  
  
Even though they knew that Yugi was using this as a ploy, Joey surrendered and Mai left with him for the smooth dance floor. They waited for the song to end, and then walked on and began dancing awkwardly until they got used to the music and the way each other moved. Mai found out that Joey Wheeler could actually dance without stomping on her toes, and could keep some kind of rhythm as well. More than anything, they talked casually about different subjects: Mai asked about school, and Joey wanted to know about her progress. Both Mai and Joey were juniors and struggling with their Physics courses. Neither of them had yet won any of the rare cards, though Joey had gotten a gift set. It contained several candles that he planned to give to his sister Serenity as Christmas presents . After the mention of his sister, Joey decided to ask about her family.  
  
Mai looked at blond, brown eyed Joey and sighed a bit sadly. Her family life was really interesting and complex, but she decided to tell him some of it. Mai had no sisters or brothers. She lived with her mother, who had turned rebellious during college and veered from a suggested career path that included an expensive, private school, and a guaranteed future as a lawyer. Her rich parents had been paying for the college, and when their youngest daughter decided to become a fashion designer, it had strained the ties between them somewhat. Soon after her mother had met a man and married him, and had Mai not too much later. When Mai was seven, her parents had divorced and to this day she rarely saw her father, and barely ever spoke with her mother's proper, blue blooded relations. Mai's strongest connections outside the immediate family were with her mother's brother and her father's parents . Also in the history of Mai's family was that her mother's sister, Cecilia, had died. As that had happened so long ago, Mai didn't know much about her.  
  
Joey bit his lip as she told him about her parents being divorced. He then acknowledged that his parents were divorced as well, and because of that he didn't see much of Serenity or his mother. When Mai heard that, her heart beat a bit weakly in sympathy. She didn't feel much like dancing anymore. They both left the floor and returned to the table, to find Yugi working out new combos for his deck enthusiastically. He didn't ask why Mai and Joey had obviously returned in more muted spirits than in which they had left. When Yugi looked down to put his deck back together, Mai and Joey gave each other a glance and both smiled.   
  
_I think I really understand him now,_ Mai sighed and went to get some more punch, looking at the large and colorful Christmas tree on her way there_, and we are more alike than I ever could have guessed. Hopefully I will get to duel him soon. It should be very enjoyable._


	4. Part Four, Duel

****

Part Four  
  
Around noon the next day, Mai was eating by herself, savoring the memory of another victory. She had dueled against Joey that morning and won! He had taken the defeat with good humor, considering the fact his sister's eyesight did not weigh on the result, and that his standing on the duelist list was still above hers. The duel had been in the cold, frosty air, and Mai had been forced to wear gloves and a hat while dueling him. The arena had been placed on a high cliff overlooking the sea, and put Mai into good spirits at the view she saw during the match. Then when she had defeated him, a Christmas song had started playing from the arena, and a stand had appeared and come toward her. On it had been a crisp, laminated Lightning Harpy Lady in all of its glory. Mai promptly added the card to her deck.  
  
Mai was looking around the inner courtyard for someone to duel. She wanted to compete against someone she _didn't_ know, but there were a lot of recognizable faces in the lunch room. Mai wanted the person's deck to be a surprise, their strategies unknown to her, and their face and personality new and exciting. She looked at the entrance, and it opened accordingly and brought her the answer. A short figure walked in and nearly ran to the food stand, a stocking cap nearly covering his eyes. His feet were in untied, red tennis shoes, and hair long, looking nearly all indigo as it reflected the light. Mai's eyes became set on the innocent chick called Mokuba Kaiba. She knew, for all the fact he looked like some fanatic seven-year-old amateur, he had been holding his own in this tournament. She had been worried that it had all been Kaiba's doing, that Mokuba's brother had been mentoring him through the entire thing and giving him all the moves to play. Her doubts were instantly wiped away now, because she had watched Mokuba during a duel when his brother had not been in sight. Seto Kaiba did not appear as a large shadow right behind Mokuba all the time, and the boy was getting lunch on his own. With sudden insight, she realized that no thirteen-year-old trying to make it in a tournament full of older duelists would want his brother around him constantly, as it was not a way to develop a good reputation.  
  
Mai got up and deposited her tray, and then went over to Mokuba. Mokuba looked up at her and waved as she sat down. The boy was wearing a rubber band to keep his hair out of his face, and a green vest over a black sweat shirt. His dark blue eyes were suddenly extremely serious, and being this close to Mokuba made him seem older and highly more mature. He even looked something like his brother, and he had grown since last year. He no longer just looked like Seto Kaiba's little brother, an innocent pawn in the corporate and magical worlds. It only increased Mai's want to duel him. Everyone always thought of him as "Kaiba's little kid brother." The "little" in that title was gone, and Mai had a feeling she would not be dueling with a "little kid," though kids could be deadly as the United States champion had shown.   
  
_Mokuba is edging on adolescence. I wonder how Kaiba is going to deal with it in the coming couple of years,_ Mai thought, deciding to warm her hands by placing them in her jacket's pockets. She sat up and got ready to introduce her proposal to Mokuba, "I was wondering, Mokuba, if you would duel me after you're done with lunch?"  
  
"Sure!" his eyes brightened at the idea, and he looked out toward the pool, "I'm meeting Seto in a while, but I don't have anything to do until then. I was sort of planning to ask you or Joey pretty soon. Where do you want to duel?"  
  
Mai looked at the exit and sighed. She did not want to go back outside for this duel, but there weren't that many arenas inside the castle. Mostly the duelists stumbled into the ones that did exist inside. Mokuba looked at the pool and grinned broadly, showing well cared for teeth. Mai guessed he probably knew where he wanted to duel, and she replied, "Anywhere, but make it _warm._"  
  
"I heard that there is an arena in the pool," Mokuba whispered to her, making sure the people around them couldn't hear. Mai nearly squealed with delight, because dueling on the pool would be wondrous. With all the Christmas decorations around them, they would dueling right under the glass roof. Even the huge Christmas tree would be near the field. Obviously no one had figured it out, but right now an arena in the pool seemed likely. The holographic projectors were submerged, and there could be an arena right under the water. Mai looked at Mokuba once again, now thinking of him as some kind of genius…a genius who was eating rather fast.   
  
"Whoa, slow down," she warned him, "I don't want your brother coming on to me for making you sick. We'll bring down the house all right, but there is no hurry to get this duel over with. Take your time."  
  
About an half-an-hour later, Mokuba had finished his lunch and was ready. Trying not to make it ceremonious, both of them walked to the edge of the pool, serenely reflecting colors and lit up by lights. Just because of this setting, it would be the duel that Mai and Mokuba most remembered from the Duel Party in following years. Not many people paid attention to them, just thinking that the two were going to stare at the tree. Mokuba gave her an encouraging look that said she got to do the honors. Mai took out her deck and held it up promisingly.  
  
"Mokuba, I challenge you to a duel," Mai clearly amplified the words so the machines that listened for those particular vibrations picked them up. Mokuba took out his deck from the pocket of his pants and held it up as well, grinning like an imp. If this didn't work, they wouldn't look like fools in front of the other duelists, because this was a common practice. If the mythical arena did come out of the pond, Mokuba and Mai would not appear idiotic at all. They would be automatic legends.  
  
"I accept!" Mokuba's bright voice rang, and there was a startling sound. A rumble went below their feet, and gears turned audibly, alerting the other people who were eating. They all looked up and stared at the pond, Mai, and Mokuba. Mai glanced at Joey, who was sitting to the far left, and winked at him. Then she turned and gaped as well, for a magnificent sight was taking place.  
  
The arena was popping out from the waters, and the holographic projectors were slowly growing. The giant tree moved back, and the Christmas lights turned darker, more appropriate for a duel. The background music ceased, and the waters began churning as the arena rose and their stations, one blue and one purple, bloomed above the pool's depths. All the eating duelists whispered and twittered behind Mai and Mokuba, but there was an air of silence as the arena appeared. After about five minutes, Mai and Mokuba shook hands and went around to the opposite sides of the arena. Mai entered the purple dueling station, and Mokuba was elevated by the blue one.   
  
Mai looked around and saw a crowd was gathering. Pegasus had suddenly appeared and was clapping loudly, with a half smile on his lips. He looked perfectly amused, and announced loudly, "I was wondering when someone would figure this out. This is the best arena on the entire island, and Mokuba Kaiba and Mai Valentine are the first to use it! Good luck to both of you!"  
  
Mai and Mokuba both shuffled their decks while dozens of duelists ran in and out, spreading the word that a large dueling arena had just sprouted in the middle of the inner courtyard, decorated in light, bows and fake pine needles. They couldn't help but be the center of attention. Yugi appeared beside Joey with a look of awe on his face, and before anyone could utter one go through of a rhyme, so did Seto Kaiba. He stared at the dueling arena in dead surprise and glared at his brother. Mokuba only waved and smiled back at him, and then turned his attention back to Mai. It was a duel after all, and his focus needed to be on his opponent, not the gaping audience.  
  
Mai and Mokuba began the duel, Mai going first because she had won by rock-paper-scissors. Many different eyes watched them, and when Mokuba wiped out the first monster she had played, she smiled and felt rather blessed. Two duelists, wearing angel pins, played their game in a serene, peaceful environment. A giant Christmas tree twinkled and highlighted the dueling arena, while the holograms turned out to be something neither Mokuba or Mai had ever seen before. The holograms were big and life like in a way even Kaiba had never created with his own technology.   
  
Mokuba turned out to be a very good duelist for someone of his experience. As the duel spiraled to a contest of wit and their strongest monsters, Mai seemed to be beating him. Mokuba then came out with a fusion monster that was strong enough to beat Mai, and he subtracted her remaining life points with an attack. Mai hadn't expected for him to win, but he had and owned the duel fairly. Mai felt like it had been a good duel, and began to put her deck back together when a Christmas song started to play. Mai froze and Mokuba stared at the arena, where the song was coming from. It was not background music.  
  
A stand appeared in front of Mokuba and contained a letter. The young teen took the envelope lying on it, and the stand dropped back into the arena and disappeared. Mai looked at him in interest, as did many of the other duelists. Envelopes were rare, as they contained the most precious prizes. At the end of the Duel Party, all the envelopes would be taken by Pegasus as deeds and the rare, expensive prizes he kept hidden somewhere on his island would be awarded. Mokuba had just gotten the rights to a large sum of money, one of the Annoying Fan Girl or Midnight Warrior cards, or the Silver Millennium Time Dragon. Mokuba wisely hopped off the arena and followed Mai to a corner.  
  
"That was a good duel," Mokuba politely shook her hand and she nodded in agreement. Seto Kaiba was making his way toward them, but neither Mokuba or Mai noticed this at first.  
  
"Well, aren't you going to open it? You deserve whatever is in that envelope," Mai was excited for him, as she had not gotten an envelope herself before. Naturally she was curious to know the prize. He grinned and carefully opened it by edging his finger under the top until it came loose completely. Inside was a thick piece of marbled blue and gray paper, and Mai all ready saw that the words were hand written in a fancy script.   


__

Congratulations!  
  
You have won the Silver Millennium Time Dragon. Please see me immediately,  
  
Maximillian Pegasus   
  
Mokuba yelped and turned around to his brother, who was standing by Mokuba at the time. Seto Kaiba looked extremely curious himself. Mai was also extremely surprised, and guessed that the reason that arena had been hidden under the pool was because it contained the second, or possibly first, most valuable prize in the whole tournament. Mai suddenly remembered that strange scene at Pegasus's introductory speech yesterday, and felt like fate or destiny had just paid a visit. She wondered if Mokuba was destined to own the Time Dragon or something, as the events seemed to be falling like that. She shook her head and decided to leave the subject for some time later.  
  
"Brother, I won the Silver Millennium Time Dragon!" Mokuba whispered to Kaiba excitedly. Kaiba went a strange color briefly and stared blankly at him, but took the letter from Mokuba's hands. Mai figured Kaiba might have been planning to win that card for himself, or even try to bargain for it forcefully. Kaiba could hardly do that to his own brother though. Fate had just played a wicked trick on the owner of Kaiba Corps. by giving the Silver Millennium Time Dragon to Mokuba.  
  
"We'll go see Pegasus then," Seto answered in a raspy, dry tone like crinkling old leaves, still in shock. Mai watched them leave and brought her mini-computer on line. Mokuba had moved up a spot in the standings. The two duelists who had discovered the inner courtyard dueling arena were now tied, and Mokuba's stat text had changed color. There was also a silver glow about his entire picture, and one part read: Top Winner: Won the Silver Millennium Time Dragon. She scrolled up the page and once again found Yugi and Seto Kaiba in the top three spots, possible winners for the one hundred thousand dollars. It had been an interesting Winter Solstice.  
  
  
**PEGASUS** walked up the stairs to his private vaults, only young Mokuba following him. He should have known the boy was going to win the dragon. It had been so obvious! As they twisted and turned along the dim, windowless and red carpeted halls, Pegasus rummaged through his brain for information on the boy and the Time Dragon. If Mokuba had been destined to win the card, there must have been more to this situation than what Shaadi would tell him. Mokuba was part of something that was going to happen soon in the future, and the only person who knew what it that was wouldn't say anything_, I really want the Eye back right now, to tear through Shaadi 's head and get some answers!_   
  
The card was extremely unique, and had disturbing qualities not even owned by the God Cards. It didn't obey him very well, as he had tried using it in a duel against Shaadi after the introductory speech. The Dragon had fried one of Pegasus' monsters indignantly instead of sending the attack across the field. Pegasus really hoped the slip of a boy behind him wouldn't have trouble with the card. Mokuba did not own any kind of magic and he was still rather young, but the Time Dragon had seemed perfectly willing to lay down its holographic pride for the boy yesterday. The Dark Magician was Yugi's primary card, and Shaadi had once told him that the Dark Magician, as a real monster, would only obey Yugi or the Pharaoh spirit of his Millennium Puzzle. Shaadi also told him yesterday that Mokuba had something of a similar status with the Time Dragon. Very few people would ever be able to use that card. Unfortunately, Shaadi would not say why Mokuba could control the it. Meanwhile, Pegasus was also worried that the Silver Millennium Sun Dragon would have the same "values" as its twin did, even though he wasn't even finished the card yet.  
  
Seto Kaiba had been extremely reluctant to let Mokuba go to the vaults alone with Pegasus. Pegasus had shown he no longer owned the Millennium Eye to Kaiba, and actually given him documents that would allow Kaiba to take over his company easily as a trust. If Mokuba didn't come back in one functioning piece, containing his mind, heart and soul (Kaiba had been very insistent about the soul), Kaiba would keep the documents and could make Pegasus and his company tumble to the ground. Pegasus had no intention of hurting Mokuba this time, and quietly led him up the winding stairs without uttering a word. They finally arrived at Pegasus' vaults, where he kept many of his valuables. Pegasus entered the code and it unlocked. He changed the code about every three days, and the one he had been using recently was "Mai Valentine."   
  
Mokuba followed him in, and Pegasus turned on the lights. On a table, the Silver Millennium Dragon laid in a computerized safe box on a blue cushion. He gave Mokuba the box and the key, and the computer in it read the card Mokuba swiped. Mokuba was allowed access, and lifted the steel top. He looked upon Pegasus' glorious masterpiece. The Time Dragon in the picture lunged, its head and intelligent indigo eyes staring right at Mokuba, and the picture moved smoothly all the way to the tip of the dragon's far away tail. The background was black, and rainbows danced on the skin because of the specially make paper that reflected light. The boy didn't touch it, but closed the box and stuck the key in his pocket. Pegasus smiled a bit weakly, but he knew the card belonged to the winner, "It is all yours now."  
  
"Yeah, I guess," Mokuba shrugged in an embarrassed way, and went out of the safe room, the small container in his hands. Pegasus led him down quickly and into the hands of an impatient Seto Kaiba, whose eyes shot daggers at Pegasus. The young man looked a bit frazzled with anxious worry. Seto Kaiba quickly mentally inspected his brother, and roughly handed back the documents to Pegasus. Pegasus thanked him, but didn't get a reply back as Kaiba steered Mokuba to their rooms quickly, knowing the value of what his brother held and the importance of keeping it safe.  
  
The Silver Millennium Dragons were actually more powerful together than apart. The special effect, which Pegasus had avoided mentioning, was that if both were on the field they had an increase in attack and defense points. The Silver Millennium Time Dragon and Silver Millennium Sun Dragon were turned into five thousand attack point nightmares. It was unlikely they would ever be on the same field, with Mokuba Kaiba owning one now and the Sun Dragon still undetermined. That was something of a pity.  
  
Shaadi walked up to Pegasus, and had that knowing look on his face. The man was a somewhat younger than Pegasus, and had glowing blue eyes set into a dusky face. As it was winter, Shaadi had abandoned his normal wardrobe for warm clothes, though the turban was still on his head. The Millennium Key, one of Shaadi's items, hung around his neck and was being held in hand by the owner. Shaadi picked up Pegasus's last thought, and knew what had happened, "Don't be so sure that the two dragons won't ever meet again. I don't yet know who the Silver Millennium Sun Dragon might belong to, but her master might be as close as one of the relatives or friends to a duelist here."  
  
"You are speaking in riddles again," Pegasus growled, but Shaadi only smiled in warning. The man again refused to say anything more, but Pegasus finally knew fate and destiny were working in this mess. He sighed, as their meddling didn't often have appetizing, romance-type reality conclusions. The magic of the Millennium Items was not something out of a fairy tale, and neither were the results. That was why Pegasus wasn't so eager to toy with such magic anymore, though it seemed to be toying with him, even after the Millennium Eye was gone.   
  
  



	5. Part Five, Family

****

Part Five  
  
The Duelist Kingdom Party Tournament was nearly over, and the final, largest feast of them all was taking place in the inner courtyard. All the prizes had been found and won, and every single duel was completed and decided. About six hours before, the monitoring computers had been shut off so no one would know who won the main money prize. No one really cared about that, knowing it had to be one of three people. The duelists enjoyed themselves this last time, while they all waited in enormous amusement to find out who was the Heir. At three that afternoon, Pegasus would make his last speech and announce who was his Heir. Still no one had figured it out, not even Mokuba Kaiba, who had been brave enough to learn about how the inner courtyard contained a dueling arena. Everyone thought the Heir must have had a really low IQ if he hadn't been able to figure it out for himself. Pegasus had definitely not picked out the Heir at random from among the duelists. There was some kind of major familial, financial or friendship related connection between the Heir and Maximillian Pegasus .  
  
The inner courtyard was beautiful, and there was a different arrangement of lights and decorations. There was _more_ of everything in the inner courtyard: fancier food, chattier duelists, highly complex lights that danced about the room and roof, and live music. There was also an increase of the good-will-towards-your-neighbors-spirit, with Christmas so entirely near. Each duelist was receiving a present from Maximillian Pegasus, and they were loaded around the pool and away from the guests. A few duelists had not received any prizes, so Pegasus was trying to make up for this by making sure every person left with something new in his suitcase.  
  
Mai sat at a collective table with Mokuba, Kaiba, Joey and Yugi. Seto Kaiba sat in a frozen position, his eyes on the Christmas tree most of the time. He was dressed in clothing similar to what he usually wore, except that his pants were dark red. A silk, red shirt with long sleeves went up to his neck and was lined with small gold buttons. His brother had forced him to sit with Yugi and Joey on the bribe that Seto could use the Silver Millennium Time Dragon when he wanted. Mokuba, in a blue sweater and jeans, sat beside his brother and winked at the other table guests. Out of nowhere a Santa Clause hat appeared on Kaiba's head, and Mokuba quickly took a picture of Seto Kaiba right before his brother yanked it off angrily. Seto Kaiba turned pink, realizing the other duelists were trying to swallow their laughter, and plopped the hat on top of Mokuba. Mokuba had expected this and grinned widely, not minding it like his brother who acted so dignity-bound.  
  
Just about then, Pegasus walked on to the stand. He too wore a Santa Clause hat on his head, though his long white hair poked out defiantly. Pegasus didn't pass very well as the magical toy delivery guy. A sprig of holly was attached to his dark vest, and Pegasus twisted it around until the music shut off and the duelists went quiet. One of the guards walked up to him, dressed in bright green instead of black, and handed Pegasus an envelope. Pegasus cleared his throat, even getting Seto Kaiba's attention, and then he began speaking. The man was actually kind of nervous, as he was announcing the Heir in just a few minutes. He secretly kept his eyes on the purple eyed beauty of May, in a black gown, hair pinned away from her face, and her angel pin glittering under the lights. Mai looked perfectly calm and drunk some eggnog.  
  
"I have the winner of the Duel Party here!" Pegasus announced, and he opened the envelope and read it. It wasn't either of the people he had expected! The billionaire nearly fell over, as it was a large surprise. He barely even knew the name on the card, "Cartis Mayhem won the tournament."  
  
_Cartis Mayhem was the third name on the list the last time I checked,_ Mai looked at both Yugi and Kaiba. Both of them seemed perfectly calm and unmoved by being ousted as winners. Mayhem must have won more duels than either of them, which meant he had been trying really hard to get that money. Of course, Kaiba didn't need the money and Yugi didn't really care about the grand prize. If anyone was contented with his or her life, Yugi Motto qualified. Both of them clapped like the rest of the audience for the young, bitter chocolate haired duelist who was nearly bounding up the stage. Pegasus shook his hand and gave him the prize, and then Cartis practically flied back down and to his table. Winning the Duel Party had turned Cartis Mayhem into a sprite. Mai couldn't help giggling at his ecstatic behavior.  
  
Once again, one of the green suited guards walked up, but this time handed a drink to Pegasus. Pegasus briefly examined the beautiful glass with both eyes, watching it reflect the colored lights from the tree behind him. The liquid in it was a pale pink lemonade, and three ice cubes clinked lightly against the glass as he swirled it around. He took a sip and placed it down, but his hand still griped it tightly. He just noticed that everything had gone very still, which only made his anxiousness worse. The duelists cared more about knowing who the Heir was than about the prize money! True, rumors had been brewing for three long days, but it was humorous. This was the kind of thing soap operas were made of, not Duel Monsters tournaments. Pegasus clipped off a smile and got himself under control for the next segment.   
  
"Now the moment we've all been waiting for," Pegasus stated the truth with ill humor, but many in the audience smiled in reply. Pegasus turned his gaze towards the area where Cecilia's niece was sitting. With Mai's hair and clothing like that, she looked something like his wife when she had been a teenager. The similarity, which he had failed to see before, hit him a little. Mai actually looked more like Cecilia's rebellious younger sister Sophia, but Pegasus hadn't seen Mai's mother since she began college. It was because of Sophie Mai really did not have any idea of her family and heritage, but Pegasus didn't exactly like Cecilia's stiff family either, "This entire tournament was in honor of my Heir. Now I finally get to announce his-or rather her- identity. The Heir of Maximillian Pegasus, me, is Mai Valentine."

The scene couldn't have been stranger. First no one registered the name, as it seemed so anti-climatic compared to the anticipation that had built up to this moment. Most people knew of Mai Valentine, and all eyes turned on her table. The residents of Mai's table all stared at her, but Mai was actually the last one to absorb it. Mai then started to laugh right out loud, a laughter that echoed throughout the inner courtyard as a disbelieving bell. Pegasus stood and did not move, for he had guessed she would have this sort of reaction.   
  
Tears were streaming down from Mai's eyes, but her laughter died enough for her to speak. She was clutching her middle, red faced and shaking. She looked at Pegasus and managed to force out, "You _are_ kidding, right? Me? Me!"  
  
"She has a point," Kaiba pointed out to Pegasus, in equal disbelief. Mai shook her head, and boldly walked around the pond and to Pegasus, who was waiting for her. It was time for an explanation, and that included spelling out just who her relations were. Mai had not yet made the connection between them, but she would soon. Mai still laughing, Pegasus silently led her through a door and they went outside. They walked to his tower. He pressed a red button, and the brick moved, revealing a golden elevator which carried them both to his private sanctuary. Mai tried to speak to him, but Pegasus told her to wait because he wanted to show her what he meant. If she saw the evidence, then Mai would be more likely to accept the truth before she left for Domino City that evening.  
  
With her high heels clicking against the floor, Mai and Pegasus stepped into the tower. Like the rest of the island, this room had recently been redesigned. They were still inside four simple brick walls, but the curtains, desk and furniture had been changed. A picture of Cecilia hung on the wall still, matching the larger version in his formal dining room. Mai looked at the picture in true recognition. Pegasus flopped into his turning chair and picked up a small family portrait sitting on his desk. In the picture were Cecilia, Cecilia's parents, that idiot Sophia had married, and Sophia holding a two-week-old Mai. Mai looked extremely irate, more than any baby Pegasus had ever seen. Mai had really loved to sleep as a baby, and when woken up just glared at everyone but Sophia. He had dug the picture out after deciding to make Mai his Heir, trying to remember as much about her as he could.  
  
Mai walked over to him. Her eyes widened and Pegasus asked, "What do you see when you look at that picture on the wall?"  
  
Mai stared at Cecilia's portrait for a moment, and she turned back to him, "I see a rather pretty lady that looks familiar. I have a feeling I've seen her before; I got the same feeling when I looked at the same picture in the dining room last year. Who is she?"

"My wife," Pegasus looked at the picture, feeling really sad right then. He looked at the two, Cecilia and Mai. There was something of a family resemblance there. She was probably wondering why she hadn't seen his wife around anywhere, "but she was also your aunt, and your mother's sister."

  
_"Aunt Cecilia?"_ Mai warped around and stared at the picture with large eyes again. Memory began to dawn on her, and she examined the picture very carefully. It was really her dead aunt. Cecilia had died when Mai was about three or so, so Mai barely knew her face, let alone remembered her. She absorbed this, and put the idea through her mind. If Cecilia was her aunt, than Pegasus was sort of her uncle, at least an uncle she had never heard of before. Mai crossed her arms over her chest, and breathed in deeply, trying to ground her mind. There were a lot of uncomfortable thoughts going through her head.  
  
_Pegasus is my uncle. I'm his chosen heir for Industrial Illusions. I could some day own Industrial Illusions. My dead aunt was Pegasus's wife,_ Mai then was hit by the reality of what was going on. Her mother had really loved Cecilia, but there had been conflict between Sophia and her parents. After Cecilia had died, most of those relationships had been cut. It was no wonder Mai had not known about Pegasus. Up to this day, things remained along those lines. How would her mother feel about Mai becoming the heir to Pegasus?  
  
"I've all ready spoke to your mother. She understands," Pegasus answered, knowing exactly what she as thinking. He ran his finger along the gold frame, "You don't have to become the Heir, you know. It's your choice, and you have until you're done with college to decide."  
  
Mai stared at him, and she was completely silent. This was a an enormous decision to make, but she was comforted by the fact she had quite a few years to decide. Pegasus drummed his fingers on the table and turned to open his desk. He had documents in her name, which represented the stock she owned, whether or not she accepted the position. He got up and handed them to Mai, who looked down at them and took them from his hand. Right now she seemed something like the irate baby in the picture, which Pegasus thought might mean Mai was suddenly tired, or wanted time for contemplation. He certainly couldn't blame her, and he also handed her a Christmas present, as all the other duelists were getting their own by now. Hers hadn't been in the piles because it was more expensive than a dueling deck carrying case, or a Duelist Kingdom sun visor and water bottle. It was small and impersonal, wrapped in silver ribbon and metallic purple paper.  
  
"Merry Christmas Mai," he told her quietly, escorting her to the elevator, "Have a good trip home."  
  
"Merry Christmas," Mai replied with a weak smile, and she disappeared behind the golden door. Pegasus only saw his reflection in the bent surface, and then the door disappeared to be replaced by an empty hole in the wall. Mai looked at her own reflection all the way down in odd spirits, and was met by Joey and Yugi at the bottom. She knew she would be seeing Maximillian Pegasus again, likely very soon. The Duelist Kingdom Party Tournament had turned out to be much more than she planned. Mai had won several prizes and earned a new relative, as well as a possible corporate position. Mai looked at Joey and bit her tongue, having a funny feeling she had also found something else, though Mai wasn't quite ready to admit what that was. Joey placed one arm around Mai and one around Yugi, which made for rather awkward walking. Mai almost told him to knock it off, but he probably just had consumed too much eggnog and too much of the joyful holiday spirit that was swamping Duelist Kingdom. Mai stared at Joey and sighed, thinking that she could use some use of that happy attitude at the moment. Then again, wasn't it right there, for both her and Pegasus? They just had took look around for it. 

End Notes: The duelists returned to Domino City safely, and Mai returned home to her mother. Over the next year, Mai and Sophia became acquainted with Maximillian Pegasus, and Mai learned to accept Pegasus as her uncle. Pegasus's life, though far from perfect, was improved upon gaining a close relationship with his young niece. He spent his time working on Industrial Illusions and Duel Monsters cards, and slowly introduced Mai to the corporate world. Mai and Joey eventually formed a relationship, and while Mai had not yet even chosen to become the Heir, she began to make suggestions to help out her uncle.

Elsewhere, Mokuba sharpened his dueling skills, and Seto Kaiba learned what a useless task it was to try and control the Time Dragon. When testing the card out, the Time Dragon indignantly flamed one of Seto Kaiba's Blue Eyes White Dragons and sent his life points down the well, after Kaiba tried to force the Silver Millennium Dragon to attack one of the computer's monsters. Kaiba also ignorantly set a magical force loose in the world when he gave a British artifact to his brother Mokuba. It a pristine silver torc that looked so new, no scientist would ever believe the torc was nearly three and a half millennia old. 

A number of the Silver Millennium Items were finding owners around that time, and Shaadi had known that Mokuba would be the owner of the Silver Millennium Torc. The Silver Millennium Items were cousins to Millennium Items, each one silver and its shape usually symbolizing its powers by cultural or scientific aspects. While Silver Millennium Items had no power to call upon the Shadow Realm, being inside the Shadow Realm offered interesting magical opportunities. One was a technique that invoked Gray Separation, the realm in which Silver Millennium Items thrived in. Yugi Motto's second cousin, Kayssandra, moved to Domino City and became friends with Mokuba soon after. She also received a Silver Millennium Item, and it was Kayssandra and Mokuba who discovered the Torc's dangerous power: traveling through time.

Mai decided to become Pegasus' Heir in her first year of college. Having enjoyed the Duelist Kingdom Party Tournament, she insisted that Pegasus hold a similar one. Mai helped plan the "Duelist Kingdom Party Tournament Unlimited," and invited duelists that included those who had never even participated in any Duelist Kingdom events before. This time, the Silver Millennium Sun Dragon was one of the grand prizes. It was won by Kayssandra, whose item was the Silver Millennium Sun. Mokuba and Kayssandra all ready often competed together in team duels, and because of this, Pegasus' dream was fulfilled. He got to see both of the Silver Millennium Dragons on the field together.

(finished January 26, 2003)


End file.
